Aim and Ice
by Captain Buggles
Summary: Being cursed with uncontrollable ice powers and inhuman features is quite difficult. Being either ignored or hated by everyone but a single Swinub is very difficult. Life in Lacunosa Town under such conditions is very,very difficult. But when an odd person in baggy clothing comes and offers the journey of a lifetime, perhaps things will get easier. Or not. OC x OC.
1. Chapter 1

**Aim and Ice**

**When I say degrees in this story, I'm gonna mean Fahrenheit. (Degrees are gonna be mentioned a lot, for reasons that should be obvious) Sorry about the laziness, I live in the US. I'll convert them later, maybe...If it really bothers people.**

**The title is a pun on "aim and fire", in case you were confused.**

* * *

It was a bright, bold summer's day in Lacunosa. The kind of day where it seems like nothing can go wrong, where the temperature is just right and there's not even a hint of bad weather. In such a small, quaint town, not much goes wrong anyway. Unless you're a certain someone, living every day as if it's pouring rain outside. To be precise, that someone was Snow. No last name. He wasn't related to anyone, and they all made sure he knew it. He was just a burden, a disappointment, and a liability. Snow, as a weather phenomenon, was supposed to be a pretty, uplifting sort of thing, but Snow himself felt he only signified the negative aspects of it.

Quite literally, given his poorly understood and poorly controlled ice abilities. As far as he knew, he'd had them all his life, but that didn't really help with the whole "control" issue. He didn't even like trying. Every time they were used, it was almost always an accident that ruined the rest of the day, or longer. And all it did was make everyone angry at him. After all, he wasn't known as the bastard son of Kyurem for nothing. No, Kyurem didn't literally do unmentionable things to a human. That's an obvious biological impossibility. But from what he knew, he was apparently a curse on the town. Just a troublesome forced burden on the livelihoods of the citizens, little more than a parasitic freak of nature. Kyurem cursed him as a baby and forced him on the town, apparently promising harsh judgment if they failed to raise him. Judging by his appearance, he couldn't help but believe that.

He was a tall, lanky seventeen year old, six foot five with a set of stern, inhuman eyes. They lacked pupils and they were a bright, harsh, impossible yellow, with whites that were solid black. They were a strange, alien sight against his very pale skin, and their slanted shape and positioning had the unfortunate tendency to make him appear eternally terrifying and unwelcoming. He had messy light blue hair, which nearly seemed white until you got a close look. Moving downwards a bit, he had thin lips, a sharp, unflattering nose, and a mouth that always seemed to be scowling or frowning.

Even less helpful was the fact that his mouth wasn't exactly human either. Instead, he had a full set of sharp, slightly crooked, obviously carnivorous teeth, complete with fangs. Not just somewhat large human canines. Actual scary looking fangs, which easily poked out from beneath his lips. They shared this inhuman edge with his pointy ears, and his nails, which he kept fastidiously bitten down, lest they become long and razor-sharp in under a week. He wore sunglasses and kept his ears hidden beneath his hair, and he wore a bandana that matched his hair around his mouth. Yes, it made him look like an unfashionable gang member wannabe, but if it made him look like less of a monster, he figured it was fine.

As always, Snow was dressed plainly besides his odd coverup choices, since it wasn't like he was going to try to impress anyone, and he was out in the wilderness surrounding the town. Even though it was as summery a summer day as any, he still wore a faded old pair of thrift shop jeans, since he didn't have anywhere near enough confidence to show off his skinny legs. And if there was anything good about his ice powers in the summer, it was that he and everything within about ten feet were constantly about twenty or thirty degrees colder than everything else. If he became exceptionally sad or angry, even colder. And sometimes, just because. There was hardly any telling with his powers. It created an unexpected amount of trouble, like how most Pokémon refused to come close to him, and how he usually had to settle for cold meals. Not to mention the injuries and mishaps he unintentionally caused to himself and others. Without getting too embarrassing, let's just say a canned, carbonated drink should not spontaneously and dramatically drop in temperature without being opened first. The little old ladies and mothers of the town became incredibly defensive about their gardens whenever Snow was simply mentioned, and he was shooed away constantly out of fear he'd literally make people sick.

But again, it had upsides, Snow had to admit. Upsides were the main things keeping him going. He was quite popular with the local ice types, and at the very least he was immune to the directly harmful effects of cold. He didn't have to worry about melting anything, and he didn't need extra clothes for fall and winter. Which was good, because his only source of income was a small allowance given to him so he wouldn't be naked and starving.

No one wanted Snow to work for them, and he lived alone in a crummy, intentionally forgotten little apartment. All expenses paid (although he only needed heat for water), with a tiny, basic cable TV thrown in for good measure. It was a nice gesture to a certain extent, but it was mostly so they could deal with him as little as possible and give him as little as possible without getting in serious trouble. And in any case, it was better than the 'caretaker' he lived with until he was ten. She was an old, cantankerous lady, chosen because of her many children and grandchildren. That should have made her a good fit, but when it came to Snow, everything was different. By the mercy of Arceus, she was very distant and not quite as bad as she could have been, if only because she only hit Snow if he had done something wrong. But unfortunately, a lot of what he did was assumed to be wrong. She took time from her day to (impatiently) teach him and (painfully) make him behave properly, which was something she constantly told him to be grateful for, or else he'd surely be nothing but a mindlessly aggressive criminal when he grew up. And then came the ...accident... when he was ten.

That accident opened up a whole new can of worms, but we'll go over it regardless.

* * *

It was dusk on a late spring day, and Snow was just taking off his shoes as he came back into the house. Much to his surprise, his 'caretaker' was only two feet away, looking absolutely furious. One of her hands was behind her back, and Snow gave that arm an especially wide-eyed glance. "Where the hell have you been?! You were supposed to be here early to mop the floor and do the dishes before cooking dinner!" she howled.

"Y-you neva thaid..." Snow started timidly, suddenly feeling very small.

"Save it, you retarded ass mutant! You just forgot! Don't fucking try to tell me shit! You're a damn liar! And you know what liars get?!" Snow was silent, his mouth hanging open slightly. "Say it so I can belt you, you lazy, worthless scum." When Snow was still silent, she came over, painfully yanked and twisted his ear, and then hissed murderously right into it "_Do it, you miserable ass freak._"

"L-liarths get tuh belt..a-and tey di...th...erve it..." Snow said very carefully and deliberately, trying with all his might to speak normally but still failing. He shut his eyes and fought back tears as his caretaker predictably revealed she was holding a folded up belt in her hidden hand, and she quickly grabbed Snow by the arm and lashed him with all her might. At some point, Snow couldn't handle it. He was terrified, helpless, defenseless, all he wanted was just for that awful woman to get off of him. He began to cry, and the temperature of the room dropped dramatically. His crying became sobbing, and bitterly cold winds began rushing through the house. His caretaker sounded like she was now scared too, and she let go, screaming at him to try and make him stop. But with so much wind, fear, and adrenaline, the screaming was as horrifying and incomprehensible as the beating in Snow's eyes.

"_Go away! Get back!_" Snow's mind screamed in a total frenzy, as the air went dry and hazy, and chunks of ice and snow began blowing about. As he began to bawl and scream, the ice and snow became thicker and more frequent, and Snow produced a gale so powerful that the caretaker was blown down the hall, slamming her back against a wall. Snow eyed the belt, which she now held in a white-knuckled, mortified grip, with mounting paranoia. "_No more pain. Please stop. Stop. Stop. Stop._" Snow's entire body felt refreshingly light and cool for a brief moment, and he could think of nothing else but how happy he was that something was finally going right, although he had no idea how he was doing it. The belt was coated in ice, glued to the already snow and frost covered wall, and it began to spread up the caretaker's pale, wrinkled arm. Further and further... Yes, she's screaming, but... Wait...why is she screaming? Hasn't pain stopped? Snow snapped out of his giddy trance, and he was immediately more afraid than ever.

She weakly and desperately struggled to free herself from the ice, calling out and flailing about. But no matter what she did, it didn't yield at all. It would simply creep further up her arm, then accumulate thickness, all the way until her entire arm was coated in a several inch thick block, and it was beginning to engulf her head and chest. Snow had never been more conflicted, and he struggled to think through the icy haze both the house and his own mind were in...If she died now, then that was it, right? She couldn't hurt him anymore. That was...what he wanted? No, because if she dies...then...then everyone else will hurt him instead...because..because it won't be her fault...it's NEVER her fault...That's right...because HE'S the monster. But of course, remembering that only brought more pain. The winds became more ferocious than ever. Snow heard someone banging against the door, but the door was already frozen beneath at least three inches of ice, and it was only getting thicker. Apparently, Snow's instinctual, defensive side was perfectly aware of his logic.

Desperately, Snow tried to rationalize why he needed to stop. He couldn't stay frozen in forever! There were Pokémon that spat fire and shattered boulders, they'd break in and get him for sure. He fought desperately against a part of him that wanted nothing more than ice, silence, and darkness. Looking at his own hand, then back to his caretaker's frozen arm, Snow was aware that there was only one thing he could do. He curled up on the floor, and ice began to encase his body. For the first time in his life, he truly felt cold. The winds died down, and the ice and snow stopped accumulating as he felt his entire body grow stiff, and all his thoughts slowed to a crawl. He wasn't sure how it was happening, or if he'd even be okay afterwards, but he was at least glad his powers were in an agreement that wouldn't hurt anyone else.

He woke up the next day, feeling achey, a little numb, and quite confused, but unharmed beyond that. He was lying in a very small, disused apartment, with graffiti on the walls that read "STAY HERE. ALONE." in sloppy handwriting. From how everyone reacted to him for a while afterwards, they seemed to be either furious with him or scared witless of him, even though he only remembered the major points of what he had even done. He never saw his caretaker again, but from what he had heard, it was covered up as a Pokémon attack, and she moved to a new region and needed to have her arm amputated. It was a mixed blessing. Most usually avoided him now, so there was a lot less abuse, but at the same time he was lonelier than ever, and the people who he did encounter were invariably quite nasty to him. Most people seemed to be aware that at least part of the situation was unintentional, as they were quite familiar with his more frequent and harmless accidents, but that didn't really change much.

* * *

As a result of that incident, Snow was quite cowardly and passive towards just about every issue, and life in general. He supposed that was where his name fit him best. Although he seemed cold and rather unpleasant, he was also fragile, yielding, silent, and fleeting...Talking had become little more than an embarrassing chore once it became clear that his teeth caused lisps and speech problems, and his 'caretaker' chose to repeatedly punish him for it rather than accept that he couldn't really help it.

But Snow did have one friend. A Swinub he had known for about seven years, who managed to sniff him out whenever he left town. She couldn't come to his apartment with him, since that made just about everyone angry... and Snow couldn't bear being yelled at. But with no schedule but his own, nothing stopped him from coming out to meet Swinub every day. He didn't even have to speak, he just carefully pushed his glasses and bandana aside, then made expressions and used body language. Swinub would understand what he felt, which was good enough for him.

But today, it wouldn't be just Swinub joining him.

Snow recoiled slightly as he picked up on the sound of human footsteps. He was sitting on a lone tree stump with Swinub in his lap, and he didn't see anywhere he could quickly and inconspicuously escape to...And it was broad daylight...He decided to just tense up, cover his face again, and stand his ground, maybe they wanted nothing to do with him...

"Hey there!" Crap, they're TALKING... "What are you doing out here, all alone? You're not a Trainer. You don't look like you've been on an adventure at all." Hesitantly, Snow turned to look. He would probably make them angry if he ignored them now, and the voice didn't sound too threatening. When he turned around, he was somewhat underwhelmed. It was just a kid or teen no taller than five foot two, with dark grey hair slicked back into a small ponytail, and oversized clothes. Which was somewhat unusual, because they were more specifically wearing a grey sweater, some big beige cargo pants, and grey boots. The sweater wasn't exceptionally thick, but they must have been smouldering in that outfit regardless...And Snow had no idea if they were a boy or girl, even looking directly at them. The outfit was baggy, and the face and voice could go either way.

"Is she yours?" they ask, walking up to Snow and motioning to Swinub. Snow shifted uncomfortably, then shrugged and held Swinub closely and protectively to his chest. "I see...very informative." The sarcasm was somewhat annoying to Snow, but at least it seemed to be in good fun. "Are you busy? Nod or shake." Snow hesitantly shook his head after a moment of thought, he wasn't above entertaining lies even if it did bring back memories of his caretaker beating him for them. "Do you maybe wanna walk with me a little bit? I wanna get to know you a little better." they asked gently. Snow's eyes widened. Why in the world would they want that? Would he be bullied?

They seemed to understand Snow's slight shift in posture and body language even with the majority of his face unreadable, or at least assume it from Snow's continued reluctance and silence. "My name is Aim. I'm an explorer...kind of a wanderer, really. I'm not big on gym badges, that just seems like a waste of my time. Is that enough motivation for you?" Aim asked, looking at Snow expectantly. He only fidgeted more, they were expecting answers! Answers! He tried his best to deliver, but he came up feeling lost and frightened. And still entirely silent. "Please? I know this might offend you, but frankly I think it's more important than that, so I'm telling you right now that you look reeeallly lonely. Like, an outcast among outcasts!" Wow, so there was really no better way to put that? Snow's feelings were possibly even more hurt than Aim warned. But once he turned away, slouched, and the temperature around him dropped to forty degrees, it wasn't really a secret anymore. "Yeah, I knew you would react something like that...But I felt like I had to tell you. You know, it's good to be aware of others...even if I do kinda go about it the wrong way, but I'm making it up as I go along, so whatever..."

Snow was feeling really uneasy. Here this person was, trying -so hard- to make him incredibly uncomfortable under the guise of attempted friendship. Who would ever go to such lengths? Aren't they scared of how creepy and awful he is yet? Why don't they just leave? "I'm not exactly good at apologies either, so when we walk, just kind of imagine I apologized...You're gonna come, right? I won't make you talk." they said, gently yet with a note of pleading. But when Snow made no obvious response, Swinub made a small squeak of agreement.

Snow sat upright with a start. Why was she agreeing with them?! Swinub squirmed her way out of Snow's arms and happily shuffled along the ground to stand next to Aim. She then turned to Snow with a "better get up or I'm gonna leave you" kind of look, and Snow knew he no longer had a choice at that point.

But once Snow actually began to walk with them, it really wasn't the worst thing in the world. Swinub enjoyed herself, and Aim asked a variety of questions. They were careful to only ask yes or no questions, which could easily be answered nonverbally, but Snow noticed they didn't really talk much at all about themselves. In fact, they seemed too nice to even be real. He got his first ever serious compliment on his sunglasses and bandana, and they didn't mention the cold around him at all. Snow supposed they were apologizing in their own sort of way for the overly honest things they said earlier. But at the same time, he had to figure out why they were being so nice. Was it just because they were an outsider? No one else knew about him, but that should only make them more afraid, right? They must've wanted to use him in some way, but he couldn't think of what it could possibly be.

As they got back to the stump where Snow had been before after about an hour or so, Aim began to speak again. "It was great to meet you, but listen, I have a question..." Oh no, here it is. They'd ask to see his teeth and his eyes. They'd ask why he was so weird looking. They'd laugh in his face and ask him to go fuck himself as the punchline to an excruciatingly long joke... "You don't seem happy here." Wait, what?! "...Why don't you come traveling with me?" Whaaat?! "Don't worry, it's safe. I didn't want to seem too condescending when we first met, but I'm actually working towards my seventh badge!...Yeah, I'm honest a lot, but sometimes I'm a big liar too." Aim said, as they retrieved their badge case from one of their pockets and proudly showed Snow that there were indeed six badges inside. Snow was incredulous, someone with such talent really wanted HIM on their journey with them?! He'd surely be nothing but a failure!

"And, since I figure I do want to hear your voice sooner or later, I have a way we can talk." Aim said happily, as they threw a Pokeball into the air. A Reuniclus materialized right before Snow's eyes. He recoiled a bit, but Swinub happily greeted the odd green Pokémon. "So, this is Klaus. I'm not sure how much you know about Pokémon, but he's a Psychic type, and he knows telepathy. I figured it'd be easier for you to talk if you let Klaus relay it for you." Wait, wha- _**"Like this."**_ Aim's voice continued, now in his head. Snow looked around in alarm for a moment, before realizing it could only be Klaus. _**"You try. Klaus is ready."**_

Snow paused for a moment, carefully deciding what he would say. Maybe just a simple question? If there was something he specifically had to ask, it'd probably come out better than a clumsy attempt at small talk. Once he decided he was ready, there was an odd tingling, buzzing sensation in his head, then he heard his question as if he were speaking out loud inside his own head, which was a very strange experience. _**"Are you, uh, a boy or a girl? S-sorry for the weird question..."**_ Aim's expression was blank for a moment, then they smiled mischievously and pressed their body up against Snow.

"Why? Do you think I'm cute or something?" Snow wasn't sure whether to shake or nod his head. He did think so, honestly, with the little body and the face and the big sweater that looked so soft and snuggly... But which answer was the one that would make them happy? The temperature dropped again as his nervousness mounted, and he looked around frantically. This could be a trap! Suddenly, he felt a buzzing in his head again. "Klaus says you do! Good, good! Okay, so sit down on the stump then." Snow was so nervous he couldn't help but listen. His mind went completely blank as Aim pecked him on the cheek. "Do you like me? Romantically?" Aim said with a mischievous giggle. Snow's mind went completely haywire. It was far too much! Far too much! Klaus retrieved a fearful denial from his mind as he curled up and slowly began to cry. He didn't care how freaky and dramatic he was being right now, this person was just here to toy with him! He fell for it! He really fell for it! By time Aim began talking, frost was already covering the grass.

"Woah! Hey, no, stop that! I-I didn't mean to...oh man, I uh, it was just a friendly joke! I just wanted to like, freak you out and distract you a little, 'cause that question makes me uncomfortable! I didn't know you'd hate it so much!"

Luckily, Snow quickly got his composure back together, using the rationalization that if they hadn't bothered him about his moody cold spikes yet, they definitely didn't need a reason to start. _**"I'm sorry about that."**_ he said, once he looked over at Klaus to make sure he'd start relaying. _**"I didn't know...and, I uh, never really got touched like that before...I overreacted...D-doesn't the cold bother you at all?"**_

"...It's cold? But it's summer." Aim responded, somewhat fearfully for some strange reason. Snow blanched, were they toying with him again?!

_**"B-but I make everything colder! Especially when I'm upset..."**_ Snow explained, completely confused.

"O-oh. Well, yeah, but I didn't want to make you feel too bad or anything, so I just played it off, ahaha..." Aim explained. It was..oddly unconvincing. Aim looked towards the ground and visibly flinched and made a slight gasp when they saw the frosted grass. Snow looked their body over. No shivering, no obvious discomfort, no redness or anything. It had to have gotten well below freezing for at least a moment back there...

_**"So you're different too?"**_ Snow asked nonchalantly, but with a hint of excitement. He didn't want another uncomfortable question he had to face the consequences of, but he really wanted to know.

"Yeah, I...can't feel cold. Been that way for a long time." Aim said somewhat uncomfortably.

_**"Wow! Like me! Well, I mean, I at least know when it's cold, but it doesn't actually bother me..."**_

"Yeah...so uh...you still wanna come with me? I know I'm nothing but a huge weirdo, who just happens to be adorable, but judging by the way you handle things, I'd say you reeeaallly need to get out of that awful town." Aim said, looking at Snow with concern.

_**"O-okay, I guess I can... I don't really know much, so sorry if I get in the way and mess stuff up and-"**_

"Quit that, you'll do fine. Believe in me who believes in you."

_**"What does that even mean?"**_

"Nevermind. It's just a dumb reference...So I guess you can go home and grab your stuff. And Swinub can come too." Swinub immediately seemed very glad about that, running around the tree stump and Snow's legs with glee. Swinub had actually tried convincing him to leave before, having picked up on how unpleasant the situation must be for Snow despite his silence. But Snow had always been terrified of going off on his own, and he was pretty much the town's secret. As much as they often wished he'd leave, they knew that wasn't really a viable option, because the details of the curse made it clear that they couldn't force him to. But hey, if he stayed safe, and he decided it on his own, Kyurem wouldn't mind, right?

So, with more excitement than he had ever felt, Snow dashed back home and grabbed his things. Aim didn't follow him, since that'd draw too much attention. He didn't have much, everything worth bringing fit in the same beat up energy-storage bag he had since he was a kid. It was small and a little embarrassing, but at least it could be inconspicuously carried. And with the fact that people hardly liked to even look at him, he made it back in no time.

"Yeah, we're gonna have to get you a new bag..." Aim said, trying not to laugh. "But at least you're actually going to do this. I thought it'd be more difficult...But hey, congrats! You're not as much of a wimp as I thought you'd be!". As Aim felt the wind shift unnaturally around Snow, they quickly added in "That was a joke! Just a dumb joke! I'm...hell, I'm actually...kind of proud of you...". Aim shyly murmured those last few words, and Snow was very happy they couldn't see him blush.

_**"Uh...t-thanks? My name is Snow...s-since we're gonna do this traveling thing together..."**_ Snow said.

"That's a pretty name!**_ But it sure is girly."_** Klaus added on with Aim's voice, as he snickered silently. "Damnit Klaus, just cause something is funny doesn't mean it's right!...Shit, I wasn't supposed to admit it was funny." Snow was annoyed, especially because he found it ironic that a person who didn't comply with the gender binary was making such a worn out joke about his name. But still, he had learned a lot about Aim already, even though they hadn't told him very much, and perhaps they really weren't scheming to break his heart and feed on his agony. "I didn't even actually think that! Klaus just likes to copy my voice sometimes!"

_**"Don't lie."**_ Klaus said, in a deep, masculine voice that appeared to be his own, although it probably wasn't by default. Technically, a mental voice could sound however you want it to.

"You're the worst, man. Snow is more sensitive than a soap bubble, you can't just go busting balls like that!"

_**"Excuse you, I'm up here relaying messages like a complete tool and you don't expect me to have a little fun? Ay, little furry mama down there, tell my Trainer what's up!"**_Klaus said indignantly

Klaus switched to Swinub, who had the light, high pitched, but slightly mature voice of a young woman. "_**I think she's right...Snow has gone through a lot, so you better be nice. OR I WILL FU-"**_ The voice suddenly stopped, and Klaus' voice hastily returned.

_**"NOT COOL! NOT COOL LITTLE MAMA!"**_

Snow smiled slightly, although no one else could see it. Maybe this would be fun after all.


	2. Chapter 2

**Ch 2**

Aim lightly chuckled to themself, hardly able to believe it. They'd just met a guy two hours ago, and they'd already hurt his feelings multiple times and made him cry. Smooth, real smooth. Aim sighed softly, silently ridiculing their own social shortcomings. It couldn't even be blamed on the whole "different" thing, Aim had just always been awful about deciding what would be the best way to put things. But then again, maybe if they weren't so busy being "different", they could sort that out better.

Especially when the difference between you and everyone else is that you're supposed to be dead.

No, not just a normal near death experience. Aim didn't remember all that many details, but they were well aware that they died and then remained dead for quite some time. Probably years. Time works really strangely when you're dead, and it has little importance in the afterlife. But the fact they died was the whole reason they came to take Snow with them, after all. If it wasn't for this opportunity, they would still be dead. But nonetheless, they weren't entirely alive yet. It was a much better situation than most undead situations in popular culture. Aim still had a heartbeat, Aim still felt warm, Aim still bled and seemed largely normal. But there were quite a few differences. They couldn't fully heal anything they got from dying. That was where the baggy clothes came in... Still, they were pretty insecure about their body even without all the markings. Aim barely even remembered what exactly did them in, but they were certain it must have been something especially vicious that had the ability to cut and slash, because there were tons of long, erratic scars on their body. Luckily, not the face. From what Aim remembered, the rules of this nonsense dictated that the face and hands could always be restored, and you would always be able to walk and talk normally. Aim figured it was a matter of people being able to trust you more easily in the world of the living, but it was still sort of a dumb rule.

Being sort of dead and/or partially alive (Aim wasn't sure which described it best) helped the baggy clothing situation immensely, because Aim could no longer feel temperature. No matter what, everything felt like average room temperature. And it wasn't just being numb to it. Temperature flat out had no effect. Aim was even fireproof, although their clothes weren't, and humans aren't supposed to be fireproof, so fire could still be very problematic.

The other effects were that Aim no longer needed much sleep or food. The afterlife technically owned them now, so it provided for them. But it could still be a bit bothersome, because sleeping was absolutely impossible for more than an hour or two, so night quickly became very boring and lonely, and a bit scary.

On the flipside, the afterlife owning Aim's body was also pretty invasive and unpleasant. Aim wasn't Aim's real name at all, and all Aim knew of their real name was that they desperately wanted it back. The same went for a majority of Aim's memories, although Aim could still remember their friends and family, to create more motivation to complete their mission. The afterlife also had a lot of ways to actively make sure Aim stayed on track. Random aches, pains, migraines, nosebleeds, and dizziness were all par for the course if Aim goofed off or did something the afterlife didn't like. It was just a constant annoying reminder that Aim's temporary "life" was a means to an end, not theirs to run off with and enjoy. It was also a good motivator, because if Aim succeeded in this mission, then they could truly come back to life, and carry on as they did before. They would be able to remember their real name again, although since Aim had been dead for a while, it was a little weird to think of the paradox it involved. If they succeeded, that meant there was technically an Aim who had never died walking around somewhere. Maybe. Or maybe they would just be put in a different universe, although that would involve overwriting another Aim, which was still a little unsettling...And making up a whole new universe around them just seemed really overcomplicated...Aim supposed the best option was to be edited into a universe where they were otherwise never born, but then again, what if alternate universes didn't even exist at all?

Anyway, Aim didn't like to think about it all that hard. All they were sure of was that if they didn't make timely progress, or died again, they would be deemed a failure, and they would never have a chance to come back to life or even reincarnate.

But with such high stakes, Aim's mission was obviously one of great importance. That mission was to break the curse of Lacunosa Town. To do that, Snow had to become a widely recognized, liked, and respected figure around the region. The easiest way to do that, given that there was definitely nothing influential or politically/economically powerful about Snow? Snow had to become Champion of the Pokémon League.

Of course, the easiest choice was still a very difficult one, but it was necessary. Aim didn't know the curse's details very well, but they knew the reason. Kyurem held a powerful grudge towards humans, especially after its capture by the now defunct evil side of Team Plasma twenty years ago. The curse was actually more of a rigged test, in which humanity's true capacity for love, trust, and forgiveness would be displayed. Kyurem forced the town to raise and harbor an unnatural, inhuman child, without telling them that their true goal was to come to truly love and respect the child despite the child's differences and connotations. Of course, Kyurem knew the town's deep seated fear of it would come back to bite them in the ass. To exacerbate the effect, it caused several terrible winters and odd disappearances over the course of Snow's life. Snow's very existence only gave more evidence Kyurem was still a force to be feared and distrusted, so no one came to realize the goal on their own. Because of that, they had already failed the test.

However, Arceus wasn't happy with Kyurem's twisted, unfair ways. So, after many years of sitting back and being passive, Arceus selected Aim to help him. It was pretty frustrating, since Aim couldn't remember why for the life of them, but Aim was grateful. After all, up until now they were convinced it'd probably be some rigged chore. They had no prior knowledge of what Snow would be like besides appearance, and they thought he'd be some sort of antichrist tyrant that had the whole town covertly wrapped around his finger. It'd probably be impossible to help him, and Aim would just die for good.

But instead, Aim got a lanky, timid, very delicate and nervous boy that had spent his entire life experiencing treatment that was almost the exact opposite of what Aim had imagined. It seemed very unfair, since it was obvious that Snow went well out of his way to be as inoffensive as possible, and he obviously wasn't used to people actually liking him. So hey, good news was that as long as Snow wasn't too shy to even face another trainer, there was a small chance Aim could actually make this happen.

"So, Snow...ha, that sounds kinda funny...Anyway, Snow, what is it you want out of this journey?" Aim asked as they walked along.

_**"Uh..uhm...Well...what should I want? Am I supposed to get badges? ...I'm, uh, not so sure about that..."**_

"Yeah, badges are highly recommended if you really wanna be a big time Trainer." Aim answered, making it seem like Snow actually had a choice in the matter.

_**"That sounds scary...What if I'm not good at battling? What if Swinub gets hurt?! What if everyone laughs at me because I can't do it right?" **_Snow's voice dripped with worry.

"But... If you are good at it, people will love you! They'll be super nice to you, and respect you, and if you lose, all you have to do is keep trying. No one will hate you just because you lost." Aim reassured him.

_**"L-love?! I-I don't know anything about love! That's really weird!" **_If love was anything like the kiss he got earlier, Snow didn't want it at all!

"You're breaking my heart here. I don't mean kissy kissy love, I just mean like...respect and friendship love." Aim was starting to get a little exasperated, just how pathetic was this guy's life before they came along?

_**"So they'll love me because I'm good at beating up thinking, feeling creatures? That's terrible..." **_

"No, that's the wrong way to look at it. If you get too personal and competitive, it can get like that, but battling the way it's supposed to be is more like sparring or wrestling. Pokémon like it, and they don't get seriously hurt. They just pass out before any serious harm is done. They heal much better than humans anyway." Swinub squealed loudly in agreement.

_**"This is gonna be scary though, isn't it?" **_Snow was still about as eager as a Sewaddle facing a Charizard, especially now that he was putting more thought into it.

"I'll be right here." Aim said, and Swinub gave an eager squeal of agreement.

_**"Y-you don't really make me feel- N-nevermind...I'm sorry..." **_Snow said in a small voice.

"Hey, whatever. It's not all about what people want to hear."

_**"But...if you aren't nice, people will hurt you. And then they'll hate you." **_

"Do I look like I hate you?"

_**"Uh, uhm...n-no...was that rhetorical?"**_

"Yeah, but-"

_**"I'm sorry!" **_Snow blurted apologetically, almost like a reflex.

"It's okay! Honest."

_**"..Were there ever any friends you traveled with?"**_

"No, but I do have other friends." Aim answered, trying not to let any emotion slip into the response.

_**"What's it like?"**_

"It's...fine. Great." Aim said, detaching themself as much as possible.

_**"You must want to be traveling with them, rather than me...You probably have lots more fun together...I'm sorry."**_

"Nah, you're fine, they understand...So, uh, what we should really be working on is your ba-"

_**"Do they love you a lot?" **_Aim nearly tripped over thin air.

"Y-yes...I'm sure they do. After all, plenty of people would love a cutie like me!" Aim said, forcing a sudden smile.

_**"Does someone love you romantically, then?" **_Damnit Snow, you're cutting a little deep...

"Ahaha, no, no, but I'm sure someone will realize how great I am sooner or later!" Composure, Aim. Composure.

_**"Do you like being loved?"**_

"What kind of question is that? Don't you?" Aim said, starting to get somewhat annoyed.

_**"I'm not sure...how does it feel, exactly?"**_

"Doesn't Swinub love you?!" Aim could hardly even believe what they were hearing at this point.

_**"No, everyone's always said no one could possibly love me..." **_Aim was taken aback, not only because of the words themselves, but the way Snow put it. He hardly even sounded sad. He sounded like he was simply stating an obvious impossibility, like being unable to fly. Swinub suddenly gave a series of loud, vocal squeaks and squeals, and began to speak through Klaus.

_**"No! You take that back! You take that back right now!" **_Swinub screamed.

_**"I-I'm sorry! I said the wrong thing! I-I'll fix it!" **_Snow cried. He literally felt tears starting to well up.

_**"I didn't mean to yell at you, but you should never say that, Snow. I love you!" **_Swinub cried.

_**"Is that just the thing you want to say so I won't be sad?" **_Snow said quietly.

_**"No!" **_Swinub sharply replied.

_**"Then could you explain it?" **_Snow asked innocently.

_**"You can't just explain it! I just like to be around you and spend time with you and stuff!"**_

_**"That's nice of you, but you don't have to give me excuses just so you don't hurt my feelings..."**_ Aim, Swinub, and Klaus were all entirely dumbfounded by such heavy denial. Aim nearly tripped again, although this time there was a long tree root, giving them something to actually trip over.

_**"No, that's really how I feel!" **_Swinub desperately argued.

_**"Thank you." **_Snow replied simply, with no emotion whatsoever. He really didn't get why this whole love thing was such a big deal to people.

_**"What the hell is your problem?" **_Klaus cried.

_**"It's not his fault. That's just how things were for him... I'm not sure if you're aware, but you're pretty lacking in empathy for a psychic type..." **_Swinub said.

_**"I blame Aim."**_ Klaus said without hesitation.

"Oh come on, I've been doing a pretty damn good job, besides a couple of screw ups..." Aim said grumpily.

_**"You made him CRY."**_ Klaus pointed out.

"That was an accident! I didn't know very much about his boundaries!"

_**"It starts out with accidents, next thing you know the kid'll kill himself because of you." **_Klaus said with a sigh.

"_**Y-you expect me to do that?" **_Snow said in a very small voice, as the temperature began to drop rapidly.

_**"I..that's not what I meant! I was being hypothetical! You know! For a laugh!"**_

_**"You're implying Aim would make me do that..I may be weak, but...why is it funny to say that Aim could be so cruel? Isn't everyone cruel enough already?" **_Snow asked timidly, as tiny snowflakes began to form and an unnatural breeze began to blow.

_**"I-" **_Klaus began, before being interrupted by Aim.

"Oh hey, guess what, this is no longer a good conversation to be having!" Aim said hastily. "Let's just focus on other stuff!"

Although Snow seemed adamant about waiting a little longer to try battling out, still being very skeptical about Swinub's insistence of toughness and the idea was battling really was all in good fun, eventually it was time to finally see him in at least some sort of action, although it wasn't what Aim was expecting.

"So, are you ready for dinner? We've been on the move for a while, you must be hungry..." Aim said with slight concern, pulling out cooking supplies from their bag.

Snow simply shrugged in response. _**"I'll go find something, I don't want to waste anything of yours.." **_he said, as he began to wander into the surrounding forest.

"Aren't you gonna get lost? What the heck is even safe to eat around here?!" Aim cried out.

Snow simply waved without even turning around, as if that gesture alone could somehow dismiss all suspicions.

_**"What a weird kid." **_Klaus muttered.

"Keep track of him, would you?" Aim said with a sigh.

_**"Sure, whatever." **_Klaus said with a sigh, as he began scanning the forest to make sure he could still sense Snow's mind.

After about thirty minutes, Snow came back with a small sack full of berries, a few roots, and a dead rabbit. Aim wrinkled their nose at the sight, it was limp and it's eyes were glazed over. Had he really killed it just like that? What about not wanting to beat stuff up?

"What the hell man? I thought you were some kind of pacifist!" Aim cried.

_**"It is a natural right of all living things to kill for their food." **_Snow said without emotion. He went and sat across from Aim, and took out a few knives from his bag.

"Y-you're gonna do that right here?!" Aim squeaked, awkwardly trying not to look directly at Snow's catch.

Snow shrugged and turned around, but even as Aim did their best to focus on grabbing their own food (just one modestly sized can of soup was enough to feel completely full), they couldn't help but hear a small, low whisper, with a strange, sharp hiss to it. They weren't sitting very far apart, but it actually took Aim a brief moment to figure out that Snow was finally talking out loud, but not actually to them.

"Your body may be without life, but I bid your heart a fond farewell..." Snow whispered slowly and precisely, while sitting as still as a statue, although his words were still a little slurred and lisping.

"Oh, what religion is that from? It sounds like a sweet thing to say." Aim asked. Snow immediately tensed up.

"_**Nothing. It's just..a spiritual kind of thing...I read it somewhere...sometimes I'm not sure I believe in it, but it's nice to say it, I guess...Makes it seem like everything will be alright for them…" **_Aim smiled at how flustered and defensive the explanation seemed.

"No, that's cool, didn't mean to make you question everything you've ever believed in…" It was Aim's turn to tense up as they listened to what Snow was doing. It was obvious he was cutting the rabbit up. Sure, it was food, but Aim just felt rather awkward and unsettled about death. Aim didn't remember the actual cause of dying all that well, but they remembered the actual sensations of dying all too well.

There was an incredible feeling of panic, the feeling of everything swallowing you up and closing in on you, crushing you up until you felt unbelievably small and hopeless...Then there was a brief, strange yet soothing period of perfect blackness, before you felt horribly, incredibly lost. Perhaps even more than lost. More like you're the only thing that even exists, and you're struggling with the horrible idea that there is no longer even a notion of home, or a floor or ground to put even a single toe on. Eventually, you find the way, but it's a very strange and disorienting experience, since that's also the moment when the insignificance of time and place really hits you. It smashes into you like a truck, and suddenly everything about your life seems very strange and jumbled. Memories are too short, too long, in the wrong place, sloppily attached, or entirely gone, and you start to vividly hallucinate and become incredibly afraid. Aim couldn't even remember how they ended up finding the way. Apparently it must be pretty difficult, because in that moment or perhaps compressed eternity of being incredibly lost, some people try turning back around and become ghosts.

"_**Are you going to want any? You can even have the liver, I suppose…"**_

"Gross!" Aim cried without even really thinking. "You know, meat can be grown without killing anything now! Get with the tim-" Aim stopped dead as Snow turned his head and shot her a look that was probably at least a little sad beneath the sunglasses and bandana.

_**"T-there's no way I can afford that…" **_Snow said quietly, as he continued to work on the rabbit. "_**So Swinub taught me about foraging, and the wilderness, because I was always hungry… and I saved up for some books, b-because not all of Swinub's food was safe to eat… But a lot of people wouldn't let me into their stores for very long if at all, and everyone would hate me if I became a thief…"**_

"Jeez, people are full of shit, huh?" Aim said with a small smile.

"_**I understand it was necessary.**_" Snow said emotionlessly.

"Like hell it was! They sound selfish as hell! There's nothing necessary about the things they did to you!"

_**"..Why are you angry?"**_ Snow asked.

"Because you deserve more. Any decent person does!"

Snow stopped working on the rabbit and turned around. _**"We just met, but you're angry about my problems…Why is that? Have I said the wrong thing again? I'm s-"**_

"Don't be sorry. It's called being concerned for you. I'm not trying to trick you."

"_**Why? Why is it an advantage to you? Isn't it a waste of time?**_"

"Damn, you're like the polar opposite of self-entitled. How do you even continue to feed yourself?"

"_**I bring the food up to my mouth and I chew and swallow. Don't you?**_"

"I was joking, you know."

"_**...I'm sorry.**_"

"Just listen here. I'm gonna be your friend from now on. Whatever you need to talk about, whatever you need help with, I'm here, okay? Just follow my lead, and I'll do my best to make sure everything goes okay.""

"_**Thank you…**_" Snow said blandly and a little awkwardly, before quickly turning back around to finish prepping his rabbit. Aim had managed to grasp that they really couldn't expect an answer much better than that, so they were satisfied for the time being.

"_**What a guy.**_" Klaus said sarcastically, to Aim only.

"_**Aw, shut up.**_" Aim replied.


End file.
